Chronicles: Lands of Discovery
by Elektra11405
Summary: The third installment of "The Chronicles of Life and Death" series follows Kit, Ian and Elektra as they embark on a journey to restore the lost pieces of a shattered stained-glass window high atop a castle in The Magic Kingdom. Better than it sounds.
1. The Darker Side

Author's Note: If you really like this story and want a darker, more brutal version of it, read **Chronicles of Life and Death: Lands of Discovery Director's Cut**. Be warned, it IS rated R. Read the authors note at the beginning of it for more info on why.

**Chapter One **

**The Darker Side**

The sun was setting on another cool day. A fire was burning in every house in the town of Haven City. Each and every quaint cottage was warm and toasty. The people inside were snuggled up on large chairs before the fire, reading a good book. It seemed like the perfect place to be.

But out in the cold, on the brightly lit, paved streets, it was different world. Light, feathery snow fell onto every surface. The roads were slick. As one particular car came down Grand Street, it was obvious that it was in a rush. As the fresh snow crunched underneath, as the red sports car came to halt in a flurry of snow before a large mansion.

The man inside pushed open the door and got out of the low opening. Shoving the door closed behind him, he stepped over the piles of snow along the curb and up to the gate that blocked the road up to the large, white house. He was far from old, probably new out of college. His dark black hair was messed up and scraggily. He scratched his small dark beard.

A small box was secured to the side of one of the brick posts that supported the gate. He walked up to the box, crunching snow under his feet, and pushed the small red button. A beep resounded from the box and a deep voice said, "Can I help you?"

"Hey, Stavros." The man said, familiar with the name of the man. "I'm here to see Elektra." The gates opened wide, plowing the now out of their path as they moved inward, quickly shutting behind him.

With a huff, he stepped over each of the mounds of snow and up the walk to the large, column-ridden porch. Something on the ground caught his eye. He bent down and picked it up, looking it over. As soon as he had read whatever was on the ground, he pounded on the door and waited. A minute later, the door opened and a woman stood inside, about his age. She had long, dark wavy hair. Her eyes were bright green and shone in the moonlight.

"Hey." He said. "Wazzup?"

She looked at her feet. "Not much. How 'bout you?" She glanced up at him and smiled. He stood, breathing as his breath made puffy clouds fly into the air.

"It's, uh… It's kinda cold out here."

The girl blinked and laughed. "Oh, sorry." She opened the door wider and let him in, stepping aside. They stood in the living room. "So… Kit. What brings you here?"

He reached into the pocket of his hoody, pulling out a piece of folded up paper. "Actually, it's who." He unfolded it. "Uh. Maybe we should sit down."

"Sure, sure." She said, gesturing towards the red velvet couch that sat in the large room, whose color scheme was red and gold. "So, whatcha got?" She asked.

"We've been friends forever, Elektra, so I know I can trust you with this. I got this in the mail." He showed her the paper. It was map, a bit yellowed and ripped along the edges, as if it's travel conditions had been brutal. She looked at it.

"What is it?" She asked, looking over it.

"Well, it's a map. The letter's return address was marked as being from 'The Magic Kingdom.'" They looked over the map together. One long road lead from the bottom of the map up to the middle, and there, in the middle was a large castle. A drawbridge, a moat, and even light blue and gold towers against the white façade. It really was a castle.

The moat surrounding the castle branched off to the southwest corner of the map and became a set of rivers, all intertwined. And on the shore up to the north of these rivers, the paths leading throughout were green, adorned by large Polynesian, Middle Eastern and African buildings.

The path on the map continued up to the north to a completely different place. This one was narrow and its path went north to south, as opposed to the jungle area's west to east directions. This new land was that of a desert, dry and dusty, pictured with a large, brown mountain and many cacti. On it's eastern boarder was a lake with an island in the middle. It to was narrow.

On the other side of this lake with the island was yet another radically different land, this one with stern brick buildings and trees, representing those of the American Revolution period.

Now, directly behind the castle was a land whose paths were drawn intricately in pink, with fantasy styles spires and designs on each of the buildings and tent-like coverings. Up to the north directly behind the castle was a lake with a cave to its west.

Continuing to the east of the castle, a land of chrome and bronze seemed to glow in the sun. Futuristic buildings and other strange structures protruded from the paths, shown in white.

"What does it mean?" Elektra asked, puzzled.

Kit sighed and looked her in the eyes. "I think whatever this place is in trouble. I thought maybe you could help me protect it."

She smiled. "What?" She half-said, half-laughed. "Is this some kind of a joke? Why me? Who would choose me to go to a magic somethin'?"

"I don't know," he said, holding up an envelope in much the same condition as the map, "but whoever it, they want you, too."

Inscribed in script on the envelope was written:

Miss Elektra Natchios

1 Grand Boulevard

Haven City, New York

"That was on your front porch." He said, "Same as mine." She snatched it from his hands and looked at him.

"But where is this place?" She cried, sounding a but worried now.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that we gotta find out. What if whoever these people are need help? Are you with me?"

Without looking away from him, she called, "Dad?"

"Yes?" A voice echoed from within the large building.

"Me and Kit are goin' out!"

The voice replied, "Alright dear. Do you need a limo?"

"No!" She called. "… We need a plane."


	2. The Anthem

Chapter Two 

The Anthem

As the sports car took off down the road from Grand Street, Elektra began to look at the map. "Okay, I know where we need to go."

"Wha- How? Where?"

She smiled and pointed out of the frosted window. "There…" She was pointing at Haven High School.

… _Ya. Here we go…_

Walking up the stairs to the high school, Kit threw open the doors, entering into a long hallway that seemed to stretched on for miles.

… _It's a new day, but it all feels old. It's a good life. That's what I'm told …_

In a room somewhere in the school, a black haired child was sitting at a desk, spinning a pen and resting his head on his fist. The classroom was bland and generic. The words "Test Today" were scribbled on the chalkboard.

… _But everything it all just feels the same…_

Kit, followed closely by Elektra, navigated the twisting halls with ease as the bright fluorescent lights poured from the ceiling.

…_. At my high school, it felt more to me, like a jail cell: a penitentiary… _

Entering the office they both approached the large desk, a woman with glasses at the tip of her nose sat behind it, reading a newspaper.

… _My time spent there had only made me see_…

"Ummm…" Kit began. The woman looked up at him, awaiting a question.

... _That I don't ever wanna be like you. I don't wanna do the things you do…_

"Kit? Kit Praxten?" The woman asked, replacing her glasses. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, looking at Elektra.

… _I'm never gonna hear the words you say…_

The child at the desk raised his hand. The teacher, an old, graying man stopped, mid-sentence and called on him. "M-m-yes?" He stuttered.

… '_Cuz I don't ever wanna, I don't ever wanna be you…_

Kit sighed. "I'm here to pick up my brother." Elektra smiled at her sweetly.

… _Don't wanna be just like you… _

"He actually will be gone for a while. Family vacation. So can I just, like, excuse him for the next two weeks?" The woman replied. "Oh, I'm sorry, you need to be over twenty-one to excuse a child."

… _What I'm sayin' is, this is the Anthem throw all your hands up… _

"Can I go to the bathroom?" The student said.

… _You… Don't wanna be you…_

"Oh, um. I am." Kit retrieved his driver's license. She examined it. "Has it been that long since you've been here? Oh my!" Kit and Elektra raced down the hall, towards the room the woman had said.

…'Go to college, a university. Get a real job'. That's what they said to me… 

Up ahead, the hallway turned. Skidding to a halt, they ran into someone coming from the other direction. All three fell to the ground. "Ian?" Elektra asked.

…_But I could never live the way they want…_

"Why were you running down the hall?" Kit yelled.

… _I'm gonna get by and just do my time…_

"Skippin' class." He announced, shamelessly.

…_Outta step while they all get in line…_

"Oh no your not mister!" Elektra said. "You're coming with us!"

…_I'm just a minor threat so pay no mind…_

The smaller version of Kit laughed. "Technically, isn't that skipping?"

… _And do you really wanna be like them? Do you really wanna be another trend?…_

"No!" Kit scoffed, "Cuz we got you excused for two weeks."

… _Do you wanna be part of that crowd?…_

"Nuh-uh!" He exclaimed.

… _Cuz I don't ever wanna, I don't ever wanna be you…_

"Get in the car!" Kit called.

… _Don't wanna be just like you. What I'm sayin' is this is the Anthem throw all your hands up…_

"Kit's got girlfriend!" He called, running down the hall.

… _You. Don't wanna be you…_

Kit chased after him, faster. "Shut UP!"

… _Shake it once that's fine. Shake it twice that's okay…_

Elektra rolled her eyes and took off after them.

… _Shake it three times; you're playing with your mind again…_

She pushed open the doors of the school, looking down to the car parked on the curb.

…_You! Don't wanna be just like you. What I'm sayin' is this is the Anthem, throw all your hands up…_

"Get in the back! Elektra's sitting up here!" Kit was shoving Ian's shoulder.

…_Yall gotta feel me Sing if you with me… _

Elektra slowly walked down the concrete stairs to the car and leaned on the side, resting her head on her fist and sighing.

… _Don't wanna be just like you…_

"This should just be a minute." Kit smiled as he continued to fight his brother.

… _This is the Anthem throw all your hands up…_

Elektra returned his hokey smile, squinting.

…_Yall got the feeling, Sing if you with me…_

"Get… in… the… BACK!" He picked Ian up and tossed him in the back.

… _Another loser Anthem… Another loser Anthem…_

He patted the seat next to him. Elektra opening the shiny red door and stepped in.

… _Another loser Anthem… Another loser Anthem…_

The car skidded off down the road. "Why can't I sit in the front?" Ian called.

"Umm. Airbags." Kit said, shifting gears.

Elektra reached into the black book bag she had brought along and pulled out a small, chrome cell phone. She dialed a number and placed the phone to her ear. "Stavros? I need to talk to Daddy." She said, kindly. "Dad? Hey! Um, is our jet ready yet? Oh. Ya, okay. Where?" She lowered the phone and placed her hand over it. "Get off on Exit 24b." She replaced the phone. "Okay. We'll be back in a few weeks probably. Okay. Love you, too. Okay, bye! OKAY!" She hung up the phone.

"So, where are we headed?" Ian asked, from the back seat. He seemed to have gotten over his pouting fast.

"The Grand Hotel." She turned to face Kit. "Turns out the jets preoccupied. Some super secret thing or somethin'. We'll be taking the helicopter."

"Ya, but taking the helicopter _to where?"_ Kit asked, growing noticeably impatient.

She laughed. "Well, the Magic Kingdom. Just trust me Kit. I've got it under control. I know exactly where we're going. Just trust me. Just get to Grand."


End file.
